Vitamin D, a common deficiency for many
Precisely in this period of the year, when the sky is always veiled and we spend less time outside the house in the open air, the frequency with which people show a vitamin D deficiencyone of the most important for the health of the organism.
Vitamin D deficiency is particularly widespread in European and Asian populations. In the areas of southern Europe it affects the 30-60% of the populationand in the East up to 80% of people are deficient in this valuable vitamin.
It is known that thesun exposure is the easiest way to stimulate the production of vitamin D in our body, which synthesizes a hormone in the skin, thanks to UVB ultraviolet rays. It is believed that 15-30 minutes under the sun is enough for a person to produce enough.
But if you are unable to expose yourself, perhaps due to the arrival of winter, or if you are particularly attentive to the harmful consequences of UV rays and therefore try to avoid them as much as possible, there are other ways to maintain a correct level of vitamin D in our body through foods and supplements.
Most people need 600-800 IU of vitamin D per day, but some need more than that. It happens to those who rarely expose themselves to the sun, to the elderly, to people with black or brown skin, and to those who suffer from certain conditions, such as liver dysfunction or malabsorption.
Vitamin D, what is it for?
Vitamin D plays an important role in several metabolic processes: it is essential for having strong bones over time, because it acts on the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, keeps the heart and cardiovascular system healthy, together with the thyroid gland, and helps reduce inflammation and control infections.
What are the consequences of vitamin D deficiency?
If nothing is done, in the most serious cases of hypovitaminosis D it is possible to run into some pathologiessuch as those of bone metabolism (rickets, osteoporosis, osteomalacia), and likewise in the weakening of the jaw bones, becoming more subject to periodontitis.
Also linked to vitamin D deficiency are hypertension, diabetes, fibromyalgia and neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis
What are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?
To understand for sure if you have a vitamin D deficiency, it is advisable to perform some blood analysiswhich your doctor will be able to advise you. But there are gods symptoms which work like alarm bells and can reveal right away if you are deficient.
1- FATIGUE
One of the most common symptoms of severe vitamin D deficiency is a feeling of chronic fatigue, profound and irremediable. But be careful not to confuse this symptom with an excessive presence of vitamin D. In fact, it also happens on the contrary, when you have too much vitamin D, to experience recurring tiredness. For this reason, vitamin D supplementation should always be followed by a doctor and monitored by blood tests.
2- PAIN AND MUSCULAR WEAKNESS
Some studies have shown a correlation between frequent muscle pain and weakness and vitamin D deficiency. If you experience episodes of this type and you can’t figure out why, talk to your doctor.
3- PAIN IN THE BONES OR JOINTS
Due to the severe lack of vitamin D, which is essential for the body to absorb calcium, symptoms related to pain in bones and joints and their increased fragility may occur.
4- HAIR LOSS
Vitamin D is essential for hair health and beauty, and for hair to grow faster.